Place almonds in bowl of food processor and chop roughly. Add the sugar and continue to process until almonds are finely ground.

Crumble in the almond paste and process until you have a uniform mixture--maybe 1/2 to 1 minute.

Add egg whites and almond liqueur, if using, and extract. Process until dough is smooth and starts to form a ball at the edge of the blade.

Remove from processor and allow mix to stand for about 20 minutes.

Drop level tbsp. onto parchment-covered cookie sheet, leaving about 1-1/2" between cookies. Or roll into a ball and press a toasted almond into the top. You can even roll balls in pine nuts before baking.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating cookie sheets from top to bottom and side to side. Cookies should be golden on top. Don't overbake, as they will harden upon standing.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the parchment paper. To make removal easier, scrape off with a thin spatula or knife.

Once cookies have cooled, they can be stored at room temperature air-tight for 4 days, or frozen for 3 months.

Poster's Notes:
To make your own almond paste, process the almond slivers until fine and crumbly, but not powdery.